Guitar steel



R. L. MILLER GUITAR STEEL Sept. 1, 1953 Filed July 29, 1949 INVENTOR. ROY 1.. MILLER Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to guitar steels and the like.

Guitar steels, as the name implies, are used in playing the so-called steel guitar, which has strings, normally made of steel or other suitable material and stretched tightly so that upon plucking, a musical note will emanate from the vibrating string or strings. The strings extend above a bridge, and the frequency of the note, which determines its position on the musical scale, depends upon the effective length of the string. In a standard guitar, the effective length of the string is varied by pressing the string at a suitable point against the fingerboard, but in the steel guitar, the weight of the steel merely rests on the strings, either directly across or in a slant position, forward or reverse, thereby determining the effective length of the string. The frequency of the note, of course, also depends upon the tension and other characteristics of the string, but when the guitar is properly in tune, these notes will be fixed in accordance with the full length of each particular string. One or more strings are plucked or picked to produce one note or a combination of notes, commonly known as a chord. These strings may also be muted by placing fingers on the strings above the steel to terminate the vibration of the strings upon raising the steel, primarily so that the next note or chord can be played without sound interference from the previous notes or chords, but also to minimize inharmonious overtones. Previous guitar steels (the most common in use being simply an elongated, square or rectangular block of metal) have suiiered from the disadvantages, among others, of being difficult to hold, being awkward to move about, and requiring several fingers to hold, thereby interfering with muting.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a novel guitar steel or the like; to provide a guitar steel which is relatively easily grasped by the user; to provide a guitar steel which can be moved quickly to different positions, including movement longitudinally and also slantwise of the strings; to provide a guitar steel which can be readily tipped to engage only one or two strings, if desired; to provide a guitar steel which provides a maximum freedom of use of fingers for muting and the like; and to provide a guitar steel which is readily manufactured, but may exist in more than one form.

Additional objects and the novel features of this invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a guitar steel constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guitar steel of Figs. 1 and 2 in use, resting on a plurality of strings;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, of the guitar steel held in a reverse slant position; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation, and section, illustrating the use of the guitar steel of this invention in tipped position, for engagement with only one string.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a guitar steel constructed in accordance with this invention may comprise an elongated body B having a lower, longitudinally extending portion Iii and an upper, longitudinally extending portion II, attached to the lower portion or formed integrally therewith. The upper and lower portions may each be formed from a round bar or rod of a relatively heavy metal, such as copper, with a plating of cadmium or the like both to improve the appearance and to resist wear. The upper portion H is preferably shorter than the lower portion 19, terminating short of each end of the latter, and in addition the ends [2 and [2 of the upper portion are formed to provide a beveled surface which extends downwardly and outward- 1y. Each beveled end of the upper portion H] is preferably fiat, though not necessarily so, as it may be either concave or convex. One end i3 of the lower portion In may be transversely flat, such as by cutting the bar or rod off at right angles, while the opposite end I4 is machined, ground, forged or otherwise formed to produce a rounded surface, such as a hemispherical surface which is preferable but not absolutely necessary. The body B is also provided with a longitudinally extending groove l5, on the near side, which may be formed merely by the adjacency of the upper and lower portions It and H, respectively, when the latter are formed from round bars or rods, and attached together, as by brazing. A groove I5 is similarly formed on the opposite side of the body B, and provides a balancing effect, though normally is not used in manipulation.

A pivoted member or ring R, which may be formed from a metal strip, as shown, bent around so as to have relatively straight sides is and an arcuate top I7, is pivoted on the body B, such as on a pin [8 extending through the upper portion ll and riveted over at the ends. Of course, the ring R may be attached to the body B by a screw threadedly engaging the body on each side, or pivoted thereon in any other suitable manner,

the preferred pivotal attachment of the ring being transverse to the body B.

As will be evident from Figs. 3-5, the forefinger 19 of the hand of a user is inserted through the ring R, which is thus adapted to encircle the finger, and the end of the forefinger conveniently rests on the adjacent beveled end l2 of the upper portion H. During use, the ring R is preferably tipped forwardly to engage the first joint, as shown, to hold the guitar steel securely on the finger. The groove l5 conveniently receives the thumb 20, particularly when the guitar steel is to be moved along the strings to change the place of contact therewith, or to move the guitar steel to a forward slant position with respect to the strings, i. e. with the steel disposed at an angle of 45, for instance, with the end M of lower portion ill disposed forwardly of the rear end l3. The fiat end l3 of the lower portion H) of the body B is conveniently engaged by the thumb 20, when the guitar steel is moved to a reverse slant position, such as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the front end In of lower portion I0 is disposed rearwardly of the rear end I 3 and the steel is disposed at an angle, such as 45", for instance, across the strings. The forward and rear slant positions of the guitar steel are utilized primarily in producing different effective lengths of the different strings.

As shown in Fig. 5, when the guitar steel is to be tipped, so that the rounded end M of the lower portion will engage only one string 22', or two adjacent strings, the hand is merely moved slightly forwardly with upward pressure against the inside of ring R enabling the guitar steel to be tipped upwardly with ease and accuracy. The thumb preferably continues to engage the groove [5, and thereby contributes to the ease and accuracy with which the steel may be tipped. The rounded end M also contributes to the effectiveness of use in this manner, since there are" no sharp edges to catch on a string and interfere with the tipping, .or with the release of pressure and the movement of the steel to a different. position.

As will be evident from Fig. 3, the secure hold of the forefinger IS on the guitar steel leaves the remaining fingers 2.3 free for the purpose of muting the strings. Also, when the guitar steel is to be lifted, so as to 'be .moved quickly to a pointy spaced some distance away, the encirclement of the forefinger I9 by ring R prevents a dislodgement or dropping of the guitar steel duringsuch movement, and, what is also important, a retention of substantially the exact position of the forefinger with respect to the guitar steel when the new point of engagement with the strings is reached. In addition, when harmonics are being played by merely placing the edge of the hand against the strings, the guitar steel will be held by the ring on the forefinger, ready for use at any time.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the guitar steel of this invention fulfills to a marked degree the requirements and objects hereinbefore set forth. The provision of an elongated body having a longer lower portion and a shorter upper portion, particularly when the ends of the lower portion are beveled to form surfaces extending downwardly and outwardly, permits the guitar steel to be grasped more readily. The association of a transversely pivoted member adapted to encircle the finger of a user assists the user in maintaining a firm hold on the steel, particularly during rapid movement, with- 4 out requiring additional fingers to be used, particularly those which are desired to be used for muting and the like. As will be evident, only the forefinger and thumb are necessary to move the steel to any desired position along the strings, or to slant or tip the steel. The provision of a longitudinally extending groove on one side of the body, enhances the facility with which the steel may be moved to different positions, in view of the ease with which a thumb, for instance, may engage such a groove. The provision of a rounded or substantially hemispherical surface at one end of the lower, longer portion enables a single string or two strings to be engaged much more readily, While the fiat opposite end of the lower portion is readily engaged by the thumb when moving the steel to a reverse slant position.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention is constructed of two sections of rod which are brazed or otherwise attached together, it will be understood that the body may be made of a single piece, as by casting, forging or the like. Also, the material of which the body may be made and the plating or other finish, if any, thereon, may be varied considerably. The pivoted element or ring member, while made of strip in the preferred embodiment, may have other cross sectional shapes, and also may be pivoted at a different point or in a different manner. Various other changes, both in the size and configuration of the various portions of the steel, may be made.

Therefore, it will be understood that additional embodiments may exist, and that various changes may be made therein, all without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A guitar steel comprising an elongated body having a lower, longitudinally extending portion, rounded at the bottom and at one end, and an upper portion having beveled ends, said upper and lower portions being shaped to provide a groove on one side; and a transversely pivoted member adapted to encircle the finger of a user when said finger extends along the top of said upper portion.

2. A guitar steel comprising a lower rod; an upper rod attached to said lower rod and extending longitudinally along the top thereof, said upper rod terminating short of each end of said lower rod and having beveled ends sloping outwardly and downwardly; and a transversely pivoted member adapted to encircle the finger of a user when said finger extends along the top of said upper rod.

3. A guitar steel comprising a lower rod of circular cross section, said lower rod being rounded to an approximately hemispherical surface at one end and transversely flat at the opposite end; an upper rod of circular cross section, terminating short of each end of said lower rod and integrally attached thereto, said upper rod extending longitudinally along the top of said lower rod and having at each end a fiat, beveled surface extending downwardly and outwardly, said upper and lower rods being formed of relatively heavy material having a specific gravity on the order of that of brass; a flat strip having generally straight sides and a generally semi-circular upper end, each lower end of said strip being pivoted at an opposite side of said upper rod, approximately midway thereof; and a pin extending 5 transversely through said upper rod to provide a pivot for the lower ends of said strip.

4. A guitar steel comprising a lower rod of circular cross section, said lower rod being rounded to an approximately hemispherical surface at one end and transversely fiat at the opposite end; an upper rod of circular cross section and having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said lower rod and being integrally attached thereto, said upper rod terminating short of each end of said lower rod and having at each end a flat surface which is beveled along a plane intercepting the axis of said upper rod and transverse thereto, the upper edge of said surface being closer to the center of said upper rod than 15 the lower end of said surface, said upper and lower rods being formed of relatively heavy material having a specific gravity on the order of that of brass; and a strip pivotally attached to said upper References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,280,959 Campton Oct. 8, 1918 1,372,254 Shutt Mar. 22, 1921 2,186,399 Abbott Jan. 9, 1940 2,441,713 Miller May 18, 1949 2,490,865 Engles -1- Dec. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 104,766 Australia Aug. 25, 1938 

